Large variation among UNECE countries in share of female police staff

Female employment amongst police staff is of interest to gender equality because it reflects attitudes towards the masculinity or femininity of certain occupations, and secondly because it may influence the reporting behaviour of female victims of crime.

In those UNECE countries for which data was available, the share of female police staff increased from 2003 to 2013, except in Israel, which saw a slight decrease. Based on the latest data, a large variation exists between countries for the share of female police staff: Estonia has the highest share at 34 per cent, whilst Turkey has the lowest at under 6 per cent.

The largest increase in female police staff occurred in Hungary – from 15 to 28 per cent – and in the Republic of Moldova – from 6 to 18 per cent.

The countries with the greatest shares of female police generally tended to be located in northern Europe, whereas those with the lowest shares tended to be towards the south of Europe.